Reinforced bottle carrier



y 10, 1956 R. M. BERGSTEIN REINFORCED BOTTLE CARRIER 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Feb. 28, 1952 1 .III llllllllllllkllhilr INVENTOR.

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Eli/$001M AT TORNEYS- y 10, 1956 R. M. BERGSTEIN REINFORCED BOTTLE CARRIER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 28, 1952 IN V EN TOR. A 055??? M 556 65 TEl/Y,

United States Patent Oflice REINFORCED BOTTLE CARRIER Robert Morris Bergstein, Wyoming, Ohio, assignor to The Bergstein Packaging Trust, a trust composed of Robert M. Bergstein and Frank D. Bergstein, trustees Application February 28, 195-2, Serial No. 273,895 1 Claim. (Cl. 220-113) My invention relates to collapsible paperboard bottle carriers. In particular, the invention is directed to the provision of sturdy, reinforced carriers adapted to receive a plurality of bottles or containers, wherein it is desired to provide both a means for packaging the bottles for shipment to the retailer as well as a convenient means for the purchaser to carry the bottles home with him.

As the bottle carrier art has developed, it has become increasingly important to provide carriers which are strong enough to withstand a plurality of trips, i. e. use by the purchaser to carry home the bottles and then return the empties in the carrier for reuse, and yet sufliciently inexpensive to compensate for the many carriers which are never returned by the purchaser. Also, there has been an increasing demand for suitable carrier structures for use with the so called one-way or disposable bottles which do not have to be returned by the purchaser. Thus, in such carriers, strength and economy are principal requisites. In addition, the bottler demands a carrier which is collapsible so that it may be stored until ready for use in the least amount of space. Yet the construction must be such that the carrier can be easily and quickly erected when needed and maintained in the erected condition until filled. Also, there is an increasing demand for carriers which are fully partitioned, i. e. the individual bottles or containers are separated from each other, both as a protective measure and also to provide accurate spacing means where automatic loading equipment is employed to load the carriers. The same is true where automatic unloading equipment is used in connection with returnable bottles.

It is a principal object of my invention to provide a carrier structure incorporating all of the above enumerat ed features.

It is an object of my invention to provide a carrier which can be completely folded and glued on standard equipment of the type generally employed in the manufacture of folding box structures, thereby eliminating the necessity for special equipment in the hands of the carrier manufacturer.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a sturdy bottle carrier in which reinforced handle or carrying portion is provided by utilizing material which would be normally scrapped-out and thrown away, 'thereby providing a reinforced structure which in effect-employs no more boxboard in its manufacture than would a carrier not having the reinforced feature.

Yet another object of my invention is the provision of a carrier having a double thickness center partition structure and transverse partition elements struck from the center partition structure and extending outwardly to the side walls of the carrier, thereby providing a separate compartment or cell for each bottle, the construction being such that the transverse partition elements are in vertically staggered or off set relation so that the openings formed in the center partition members by the transverse partition elements will be partiallycovered,

, 2,754,028 Patented July 10, 1956 thereby increasing the protection afforded by the central partition members without having to provide extra boxboard for the purpose.

Still another object of my invention is the provision of a reinforced carrier structure which does not require the insertion of separate pieces or other costly hand opera tions which would act to increase the cost of the finished structure.

These and other objects of my invention which will be set forth hereinafter or will be apparent to the skilled worker in the art upon reading these specifications, I accomplish by that construction and arrangement of parts of which I shall now describe an exemplary embodiment.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a plan view of the blank for my carrier.

Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 are plan views illustrating the successive stages in the folding and gluing of the blank.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of Figure 5 with the parts in slightly expanded condition.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 but showing the parts in the fully erected condition.

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of Figure 5 with the parts in slightly expanded condition.

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8 but showing the parts in erected condition.

Figure 10 is a perspective view with of the fully erected carrier.

Figure 11 is a sectional view taken along the line 11-11 of Figure 7 and showing details of the means for locking the carrier structure in the erected condition.

In the drawings, solid lines indicate lines of cut, dotdash lines indicate lines of score, and dash lines indicate lines for severance.

With reference to Figure 1, the blank comprises side walls 1 and 2, partial end wall panels 3, 4, 5 and 6, attachment flaps 7 and 8, and center partition and handle forming panels 9 and 10, all articulated together in the manner illustrated. A bottom forming panel 11 is articulated to the bottom edge of side wall 2 and it carries an articulated glue flap 12. The bottom panel is also medially scored as at 13. Transverse partition elements 14, 15, 16 and 17 are provided in center partition panels 9 and 10, the transverse partition elements having glue tabs 18, 19, 20 and 21 articulated thereto. A pair of reinforcing handle portions 22 and 23 are nested between the side walls 1 and 2, the reinforcing portions being articulated at one end to the center partition panels 9 and 10 along the score line 24 and connected to the side walls 1 and 2 along the lines for severance 25 and 26. The reinforcing portions are also secured to the partial end Wall panels 3 and 5 along the lines for severance 27 and 28. A line for severance 29 separates the reinforcing portions from each other. Hand holes 30 and 31 are provided in center partition panels 9 and 1t and 'handhole forming tabs 32 and 33 are provided in the handle reinforcing portions 22 and 23.

The blank just described is formed into a flat folded carrier structure by the successive steps illustrated in Figures 2 through 5 of the drawings. While the blank may be folded and glued by hand, it must be capable of being folded and glued automatically to be commercially feasible. While the machinery whereby the blank is folded and glued does not constitute a limitation on my invention, the blank is nevertheless particularly adapted to be folded on a right angle folding and gluing machine of the type in general use in the carton making industry. Where such machinery is employed, the blank is first moved in the direction indicated by the arrow A seen in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

As the blank is moved along in the direction A, adhesive is first spotted on glue tabs 18, 19, 20 and 21 and parts broken away also ed the reinforcing portions 22 and 23, as indicated bTthe shadedareasifrFigure l. The center partition panels 9 and 10 are then folded along the score line 24 so, as to bring theradhesiyelydcoated; glue ,tabs .13, .i9,,2t3 and "2.1i into contact with. the ,side-iiwalls ,:1. and F2. The blahk nowassumes the condition.illustratechin Figure 2. When in this condition,ilimited areas ,ofadhesive 34 and '35 are applied to. attachment, flaps. 7 "and ,8, the, adhesive areas being positioned. to avoid contact. with transverse partition elements Hand, liwhen the partial end wall panelsare infolded along the score lines separating them from-side wallslandlitorassumezthe position illustrated inlEigure 3,, thereby. bringing theattachmentfiaps? and 8 .intotad-hesive engagementwith theendsgof, side walls ,L'andIZ. a I v 1 ,Whenlthe blank isfolded-wtoz-the conditionof i gure 3, adhesive is,,appliedsto,theicenter partition panel it) and attachment flap 8, the adhesive being indicated by the shaded areain theiigure. :altwill bcpnote-d that the adhEsive-is,omittedtfromsthe-transverse partition elements 16rand17 -as wellas :from anyareawwhich would come in con-tact'with the,transverse-partitionelements 1-4 and 35 when, the center partition *elements are folded in back-toback. relation. -The,.application of adhesive to the center partition panel 19 may occur either tasthei blank moves in theinitialdirection A or as the blank stops and is moved in'the secondarydirection-B, the latterdirection ,being indicatedby thetarrow- Bin. Figures 4 and 5.

Upon movement of the partially folded-blank in the ,directionfB; thenextgfold-occurs alongethe line of articulation separating the center partition pane-ls9-and 10, and the juxtaposed linefor'severancew, so as to bring the cent e r -partitionpanels 9 and-,10 into back-to-back juxtaposition, as seen in-Figure 4, the two; panels being adhesively secured together by means of the adhesivecarried b -vt s'n n l 1 a The enforced folding of the centergpartition"panels 9 and 10 into back-to back juxtaposition causes reinforcing portions 22 and-23gtoseparatekfrom each other along the i-line for,severance giw the; panels being caused. .to break apart as r they :are-gfoldedabout the ,doublethickness top edgeof the center partition :panels 9 and it). 1 The detachableengagementof the reinforcing portions Hand 23, is preferred toginitially separating them as by; a line of cut, SlIlCQfiL'llHfi of cutiwouldtend to materially weaken the blank and make itihardertoshandle and manipulate during the earlieriolding: stages. a

The; final steptin theformation of the hat folded carrier {structure is illustratedin Figure. 5, wherein the bottom panel ,llflisxfoldedralong the median score -line '13. to rbringgluegfiap'll into contact with side wall 2, adhesive having been previouslyrapplied to flap12,-as indicated by .the shading in Figure 4.

The blank so. formedtis erected by applying inwardly directedpressure: against opposite ends ofthecarrier, as indicatedby the arrowsOin Figure 6. The inwardly qdirected'pressure against the ends of the carrier causes the side walls to swingoutwardly, the side walls parting fromthe reinforcing portions 22 and 23'and the partial end wall panels 3 and along the lines-for severance ttherebetween. The attachment of the reinforcingportions to the sides and end wall panels of the blank is preferred to initially separating the parts, as by linesof cut, since their attachment by. means of lines for severance strengthens the blank transversely during its initial movemerit and inaddition acts to hold the reinforcing portions in back-to-back contact-with the center partition-panels :when the blank is folded to the condition of Figure 4. lf thereinforcing portions were not attached to the side .wa'l'lsand end wall panels,-and the adhesive securing them Etmthe center partition panelshad not fully set -;by the time the parts are folded into back-to-back relation, the reinforcing portions would have a tendency to pull away from the underlying center partition pan'els due to: the naturah-teridencyofthe parts to'resistfolding. Linesfor 4 e rest? .5 as, v. and; ,2? Pr vent und movement of the reinforcing portions and thereby assure severance of the reinforcing portions from each other along the line for severance 29.

The outward movement of the side walls relative to the center partition panels. causes the transverse partition elements 14, 15, 16 and'l'l', attached to the side walls by means of the-attachment tabs;l;19,2g0,and21, to swing outwardly away from the center partition panels until they lie at suhstantial-lyrightangles toboththecentral partition panels andthe sidewalls. The relative'movement of the side walls and center partition panels also causesythe;partialzcnd .walhpanels, at each .end. of the carrier to come into coplanar.positions,,,and the carrier assumes the fully erected condition illustrated in Figures 7, 9 and 10.

The carrier is maintained in the erected condition by rmea-nsof, theilocking-,device;most clearly seen inFigures 1-, and 11. It comprises-apair. of: mating tongues; 34 ;and 35 earnieclzbythecenterPartition-panels 9 and which togetherna-re; adapted do: engage aslot 36 lying along the end ofr'rned-iantline 13 inbottom panel 11, the engagement ofiithe; tongues and slotbeing most clearly seen in Figure .11. {Ehellocking tongues-rare inwardly directed in the direction of collapsibility of the carrier so that the natural itendencysoft'thetearrieri toqrassnme,the collapsed or partially;cbllapsedsonditionswill serve to maintain the tongues jn positive'tgcontact .Vlllll'llihfi ,slotand thereby maintain the carrier;inrztheserected:condition. Of course, the carrier --may be againicollapsed whenzdesired simply by moving ethemarts aslightlyr past center so as to permit the tongues torhe disengaged-from the slot.

.aAs canrbe bestseen in Figures 9 and 10, the transverse :partitioneelements on opposite sides of the carrier are in "vertically-1staggered.relation,i e. the panels 14 and 15 :arexofixset 'downwardlytwithrespect tothe partition elementsilfizandtflp This staggered or offset relationship :permitspartial overlapping of the center partition panels and the-openings-createdby the transverse partition ele- =ments=when: the carrier is erected, and I havefound that :thisoverlappingorpartial covering of the opening formed in the center partition panels reduces the effective size "of theaopenings to the extent that completely satisfactory protectiondsaffordedbetween the rows of bottles without the necessityof-"providingan I additional center partitionpart to cover the openings. Ilhave found that the -staggering of-thetransversepartition-elements in no way adverselysatfects the definition 'of'the cells or compartments defined by the transverse '-p artition elements and yet 'the' construction-provides greater protection along the centerpartitions -to theextentthat there will beno bottle-to-bottle contact through the openings remaining in the central partition panels,

='In= my construeti'onthecarrierhandle is extremely well braced and reinforced against tearing by y the reinforcing --handle =p ortions which provide,in'eff ect, a'handle comprising four' thicknesses ofbo'ard. Not only is the handle extremely strong, but in addition the reinforcing portions, -as'already indicated, areformed from areas of boxboard which would-normally-be scrapped-out and thrown away.

The blankfor my carrim' is so arranged that a full nest is providedfalong-the botto'ms,,i..el a pair of blanks nest together end-to-end. along their bottom edges, --thereby"eflecting a'very major saving in material with consequent lower cost for the'carrier.

It'wi'llj be understood that modifications may be made inmy invention without departing frorn'the spirit of it. Having-1however, described my invention in an exemplary-embo'dirnenrwhatl desire to claim and protect by "Letters Patent is:

"'"In a paperboardfbottle c'arrier, a pair of centenparth *tion panels'infbacltokback relation, a plurality of trans- 'f v,erse ;par tit on'elernentsstruck from each 'ofgs'aid center partition :panels to ifoirrn corresponding pairs of trans -verse'partition elementsdisplaceable outwardly with respect to the center partition panels from which they are struck, said corresponding pairs of transverse partition elements extending in the same direction when in the planes of their respective center partition panels and connected thereto along vertically disposed and coinciding lines of fold, said corresponding pairs of transverse elements being displaced vertically with respect to each other, so that upon displacement of the said transverse partition elements from the planes of their center partition panels, the openings created in each of the center partition panels by the displacement of the transverse partition elements therefrom Will be in part covered by the other of the center partition panels, at least one of the transverse partition elements formed in each of the center partition panels including an attachment tab formed from the next adjacent transverse partition element in such panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,273,266 Himes Feb. 17, 1942 2,389,318 Lebold Nov. 20, 1945 2,535,741 Lighter Dec. 28, 1950 2,537,615 Arneson Jan. 9, 1951 2,551,559 Gilbert May 1, 1951 2,584,658 Arneson Feb. 8, 1952 2,587,808 Arneson Mar. 4, 1952 2,661,140 Arneson Dec. 1, 1953 

